1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a motion converting unit. In particular, the present invention relates to a motion converting unit capable of converting mechanical motion into a flow of fluid, e.g., a blower, a pump, or converting a flow of a fluid into a mechanical motion, a wind electric generator, a wave electric generator.
2. Description of Background Art
An air blower has a propeller and a motor for rotating the propeller. By rotating the propeller about its own axis, an air flow is generated. Namely, a mechanical motion (the rotation of the propeller) is converted into the air flow.
On the other hand, a propeller of a wind electric generator is rotated by the air flow (wind). The air flow rotates the propeller about its own axis. Namely, a flow of a fluid (the air flow) is converted into a mechanical motion (the rotation of the propeller). Finally, energy of the flow is converted into electricity.
If the fluid is water (liquid), a pump converts a mechanical motion (rotation of a propeller) into a water flow; a water-driven electric generator converts a water flow into a mechanical motion (the rotation of a propeller).
The above described mechanisms are capable of converting kinetic energy of a solid body (or a mechanical motion) into kinetic energy of a flow of a fluid (or a flow motion) and vice versa.
Each of said mechanisms includes a motion converting unit, in which a moving body is capable of revolving about its own axis like a rotor unit or reciprocatively moving like a cylinder-piston unit.
In the case of a reciprocative motion unit, a high pressure flow can be generated or great power can be gained from a high pressure flow. However, the reciprocative motion unit cannot efficiently generate power when the pressure of the flow is lower and the amount of the flow is greater. Furthermore, vibration is apt to occur in the unit.
Therefore, conventional blowers, e.g., an air conditioner, a ventilator, a cooling fan, employs the fan revolving about its own axis.
However, the conventional motion converting units have the following disadvantages.
They cannot be made thinner, their function cannot be improved, and their manufacturing cost cannot be reduced, so they cannot be satisfied with various requirements, e.g., size, output power.
For example, the conventional revolving fan has a simple structure and is capable of efficiently flowing air. But a motor is serially connected to a shaft of the fan. Therefore, it cannot be made thinner in size. And, an opening section, to which the fan is attached, is partially closed by the motor, so a whole area of the opening section cannot be used for sucking air. Further, the size of a blower must be defined by a size and a shape of the fan, so a size and a shape of the blower cannot be designed freely. Namely, sizes and shapes of blowers must be limited.